a curious layout.

a new scrapbook studio design team layout featuring some of the stunning papers from the shop. so i will take a bit that whenever you can't find anything for scrapping around the country you will find it in Cariena's shop. i tried having a talk to her about her shopping addiction.... but i don't think it worked. she seriously has the most stock i have seen together in one place at a time in a very long time - and no it's all new stuff nothing dated and really old. so kudos to her. anyways back to the layout...i loved doing this simpler version ...and yes circles work on anything and still!

the butterfly is a stamp from scrapbook studio. and they have the most wonderful selection available to satisfy any stampers addiction.
and another stamp from them - a wonderfully funky graphic 45 stamp.
and they are also the only people around this country that stocks Walnut crystals that i know of - and that is the only product that will give you this funky effect on paper.
to see the step x step for the techniques you can head on over to their blog here next week.
i hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend.

marble perfect pearls.

if you haven't been around to see the design team project featured on the scrapbook studio blog yet...then best you head on over. but just to get you in the mood...here's the very quick and easy technique i did on the layout - with stunning effect.using perfect pearls you can create your own shimmering elements for layouts. that's what i did on my stars and here how...
decant small amounts of perfect pearls in two colours onto your craft sheet. it can be any colour.
using a mini-mister mist the pearls with water from above. misting from above keeps the fine powder from flying off of the craft sheet.
the more you mist the more the colours will mix together - and that's in the end what will give you that beautiful marble look.
now dip a piece of plain white card stock into the perfect pearls. do not drag it across the surface as the craft sheet will scratch the card stock and leave unsightly marks on it. dip the card stock repeatedly to cover the areas desired. rotating the card stock will also help mix the colours together even more.
now cut your desired shape out of the card stock and use on your layout. remember you can also emboss it using your cuttlebug and embossing folders, or pop it into your Cricut machine and cut some shapes to use. have fun and remember to visit Scrapbook Studio.

white on white layout inspired by...

i have always loved and admired the work by fellow creative and decorating guru keisha campbell. i haven't been around to see her blog in a while as i took a bit of a sabbatical from pocking around the www. but the other day i went there and felt so inspired by a frame she made. so what did it inspire me to do - well pull out some of those well loved stamps of mine and emboss. so emboss i did. nothing fancy, just plain good old silver and gold embossing. and the end result was fabulous. well the story starts before all of this really. i had finally gotten dh to hang the frames of the dog's layouts in the kitchen, which has been standing on the floor for months. then the layouts in them turned out to be way too busy for my liking and for the tiny kitchen area, so i had to make new layouts. and that's how it came to be a white on white layout.
plain and simple with loads of embossing and little details! and that's another reason i love working on white so much...it's clean and uncomplicated and the focus is on the photos.
some of these butterflies have been in my stamp collection for years, doing some real hard time. the butterfly visible here is from my design team kit from Scrapbook Studio - a classic.
the 'mom' stamp actually says moments. silly that i never realised it said mom when i cut it.
darkroom door stamp embossed in gold. a favourite set of mine. the bingo chip is by Crate paper and distributed by The Wholesaler.
an old frame from my stash with a Basic Grey tag inside also distributed by The Wholesaler.
please visit
Scrapbookstudio and check out their amazing stamp section.
The Wholesaler for some inspiration and Keisha Campbell for some classy inspiration all round.

setting myself up for failure and a t!m typewriter project.

so i had this long post written up, crossed through it all, deleted it all...... whatever....instead
here's one of the cards i did for our card convention. i made this card and loved it. maybe because i loved the paper so much and the typewriter - it's just one of those things that will work on any project. and then i had to make everyone punch out the little letters and adhere them using foam dots or Olba dimensional glue (and no technically they are not correct) but hey it's an old fashioned typewriter, and it's paper and its mine so who cares.
and then i turned the card into a layout. i also incorporated some of the techniques of the other cards we made during the day into the layout. so it just goes to show that you can turn just about anything into anything. i often use card inspirations and turn them into layouts and the other way around.
 because you see - it's all been done before. not only in crafts but in life too.
and so it won't be the first time that people have hurt me and it sure as hell won't be the last time either. it seems that people thrive in their own hidden agendas....
and all i want to do is create and be left alone!
by the Grace of God i live.
 i hope you like the projects - they are meant to inspire and that's all - no hidden agenda!
Products used:
white card stock, Pink pattern Authentique, map Pink Paislee, patterned papers Pink Paislee, typewriter die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix, book paper, silhouette print out, buttons, gold Micro beads AC distributed by The Wholesaler, organza ribbon, jute, embroudery thread, dimensional glaze, and rub-ons Kaisercraft.

oh hello.....and some olympic spirit crafting.

So sorry for not popping in lately...no excuses just life. that's all. life in all it's simple and complicated glory, it's raw reality, and it's beautiful mess, that's all. and sometimes it's good to just break away and not to stare into the bright white screen of my laptop so often. i must admit i have become a bit slack in that department. i don;t spend as much time surfing my favourite 3 blogs and i really am not to interested in the things out there. call it crazy or whatever - but it's been my reality as i work through the many questions about life i have.and no...i haven't received any significant life changing answers in case you are wondering. but enough of that. so here i am finally.... where have i been. well i have been to Bloemfontein and taught some awesome ladies. kind, compassionate, talented and above all humble and appreciative. what have i realized. that most scrappers have become very spoilt! where are the days when you came to class with photos...and made them worked. Nowadays it's sneak peaks, photo requirements, colour swatches, paper samples and and and....(well maybe i am exaggerating a bit) but you get the idea. having said that the ladies in Bloem coped really well. Then i started working on 6 different classes to go down to the Eastern Cape to teach...and you guessed it same thing. well by class number 6 i had no notes, no photos and no sneak peaks - bad bad me. and guess what - they coped. and they all had stunning cards at the end of the day with only working off my samples. and in between all of that i am working of 6 article deadlines for a magazine, other design team projects, trying to clean my house, do laundry, feed the dogs, make class layouts, booking dates up to April 2013...so i am sure you understand why i have been absent. please don't get me wrong - i LOVE being busy - the more you do the more you can do! but sometimes you need to take a break from blogging and life in general. So came Friday (yesterday) i took a break and painted my bedroom (well 2 of the 4 walls)...since i had a suspicion that the paint may go off if i don't get my behind into gear quickly....and i enjoyed it and love the walls and have aches and pains everywhere. so that's where i have been...but i am back! and just to let you know i love teaching scrapbooking more than ever before...just incase i needed reminding and had second thoughts...
but i won't leave you empty handed...here's a little project i did for 
www.thewholesaler.biz/blog 
in celebration of the Olympic games.
Products used:
Petaloo Flowers and Graphic 45 butterflies distributed by The Wholesaler South Africa
Union Jack paper by Scrapbook Studio.co.za
and yes it may be a little crazy and weird, but i love it! so please head on over to the blog and read all about it and leave some love. Then head back to my blog and leave some love telling me you did so and i will see what i can put together as a little give-away for you guys....just because you stuck around so patiently!
PS....i love flowers! have a wonderful weekend...i will be back soon with some layouts to share.

crazy hectic busy.

it's been a hectic couple of weeks. this seems to be the pattern throughout my life - crazy hectic times and then droughts of months on end. i am happy when i am busy - the more i do the more i am able to do. so it's been too long since i managed to blog, and yet have so much to share. like when we had our Card Convention in July. it was amazing. like all events this one was filled with lots to eat, then some more to eat, good friends, crafty friends, creativity and beautiful things to buy. we had 30 ladies attend the day at Amanzingwe Bush Lodge at Hartbeespoort dam.the day started early and by late afternoon the ladies sure had an overload of information and products- so it was a good day.
i wanted it to look pretty...so i had filled empty coffee jars with beautiful pink roses for the table centres.
 beryl made these amazing rosettes for everyone that they got to take home. they stood inside little vintage medicine bottles from my late dad. the papers are from my stash and included handmade Japanese and Indian papers - yes i love paper.
 two rows of handmade flags (thanks mom) greeted the ladies and set a festive mood. the colours were amazing together, pinks, red, turquoise, creams, duck-egg, white. we even had some tie-backs on the chairs - 'cause without them it just didn't look right.
it was an amazing day and without all the support from friends and loyal creative delegates it would never have come to pass. so thank you to everyone for joining in the fun day...
and for those who missed out - catch us on the next one....
have a wonderful creative week.

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